Concern over Covid-19 in nursing homes but few infected residents falling ill

Vaccinated nursing home residents who are testing positive for Covid-19 are, in general, not becoming as ill during this wave of the pandemic, Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has said.

Tadhg Daly, NHI’s chief executive, said operators were reporting fewer problems linked to infections and outbreaks now that residents were inoculated.

“The good news is the vaccine is effective…Thankfully we are not anywhere close to where we were previously,” he said, adding that he had not heard of residents being hospitalised with the virus during this wave.

However, he said the increasing number of outbreaks was “concerning” even if most involved only two or three cases.

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NHI is calling for a decision to be made on the provision of booster vaccinations to nursing home residents, as evidence shows vaccine effectiveness fades over time, so planning for a rollout could take place.

A HSE spokeswoman said the health authority has “engaged in scenario planning” based on recent communication with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee about potential booster shots.

The Co Longford nursing home Laurel Lodge on Wednesday said it would go into lockdown after more than a dozen fully-vaccinated residents and staff tested positive for the virus.

‘High alert’

Val Ryan, owner of the Curragh Lawn Nursing Home in Co Meath, said she and staff had been on “high alert” in recent weeks. This, she said, was due to the high number of Covid-19 cases in the community and reports of outbreaks.

“I think we are going to have to really tighten up again,” she said. “We have added in an extra few layers of security in the last two weeks because cases are rising.”

She said even vaccinated visitors are asked to wear masks when in enclosed spaces with a resident, which was not required under Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidelines.

In spite of the concerns, Ms Ryan said life is “a lot more normal” at Curragh Lawn than a year ago. “The residents are in great form again. There is positivity...and the residents aren’t as scared,” she added.

Richard Byrne, operations manager at Ashford House Nursing Home in Dún Laoghaire, said he hoped a third vaccine shot would provide a boost of relief in the near future.

The nursing home is keen to avoid a return to window-only visits and management is taking some precautions beyond those required by the HPSC.